


Not a Shakespearean Tragedy

by StaciNadia



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Basketball Player Derek Hale, Bets & Wagers, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski are Soulmates, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Lacrosse Player Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, References to Shakespeare, Rivalry, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Sterek Secret Santa 2020, Teen Derek Hale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:34:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28212486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaciNadia/pseuds/StaciNadia
Summary: The rivalry between the lacrosse team and the basketball team has been going on for nearly a decade.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 17
Kudos: 261
Collections: Sterek Goodness, The Sterek Secret Santa - Edition 2020





	Not a Shakespearean Tragedy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [damnfancyscotch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnfancyscotch/gifts).



> For the Sterek Secret Santa on Tumblr! damnfancyscotch liked high school AUs and soulmates, so have some rival teams and a bit of Shakespeare!

Stiles and Scott walked to the lacrosse field after school for practice, clad in their uniforms and carrying their crosses. They passed by the basketball court, where the basketball players were practicing.

“Look, there goes the lacrosse bozos!” one of the basketball players jeered at them.

“Only bozos I see are you guys!” Stiles yelled back at them. “Did you lose your mascot costume again?”

Some of the guys started yelling back at them, some players holding others back, but the two friends just ignored them all and continued on towards the lacrosse field.

“You ever get sick of this stupid rivalry?” Stiles sighed.

“It is pretty stupid,” Scott agreed. “I always worry when they say things about how I play, though,” he added quietly.

Stiles immediately got in Scott’s path so he would stop. “Don’t you ever say that about yourself!” he said vehemently. “You’ve gotten really good over the years since your asthma went away, and next year, you’ll probably be our team captain! Don’t ever doubt yourself, bro!”

Scott smiled his adorably sweet smile that made Stiles think of puppies. “Aw, thanks, bro!”

“And I mean it, too,” Stiles added as the two got to the field.

As they waited for their coach to arrive, Stiles glanced back at the basketball court. He really was sick of the stupid squabbling between teams. 

The rivalry between the basketball and lacrosse teams was legendary. It had been going on for nearly a decade. The two coaches, Coach Finstock of the lacrosse team and Coach Abernathy of the basketball team, kept trying to one-up each other, and the teams had caught their fever. There had been crazy pranks, yelling insults at the other team across the fields, even stealing the team mascot costume. Friendships between players on the other team were rare.

Which was a real shame because Stiles really wanted to be friends with Derek Hale. He was a senior while Scott and Stiles were juniors, but they shared quite a few classes. Derek was smart, especially in English, and had good things to say in class. He was actually a big fan of Shakespeare’s works, and Stiles gained an appreciation for his writing because of Derek. He would smile at Derek when he said something particularly interesting in class, and Derek would smile at him, too. But then they’d look away because they weren’t allowed to be friends, which was completely unfair.

Derek was one of the rare basketball players who didn’t insult the lacrosse team. Well, maybe he did and Stiles just wasn’t there to hear it. Stiles was no innocent angel who didn’t insult the basketball team, but he never said anything bad about Derek, either.

Navigating teen social groups was just a nightmare.

What if a basketball player and a lacrosse player were _soulmates_? That would be _worse_ than a nightmare.

But Stiles often wondered. He didn’t think that he and Derek had ever touched each other’s bare skin. When soulmates touched each other’s bare skin for the first time, their vision would explode into white, and they would finally recognize each other as soulmates.

Not all soulmates find each other in high school, but many of his classmates had found theirs already. Even Scott had discovered his soulmate Allison when he handed her a pen and their hands brushed each other. Stiles really wanted to discover who was meant to be his.

“Stiles,” Scott nudged his arm. “What are you thinking about?”

Stiles sighed. “The usual,” he said.

It was far from the first time that Stiles had mentioned the unfairness of it all. But before Scott could say anything, Coach Finstock came out, his whistle around his neck. The two boys and a few other of their teammates stood at attention, but most of them were still talking amongst themselves and hadn’t noticed their coach showing up.

Coach Finstock blew his whistle. “Alright, listen up! We’re gonna practice shooting at the goal, and if you keep missing, you’re gonna be running suicides! Let’s show up that stupid Coach Abernathy! You got it?”

“Yes, Coach!” the team said in unison.

Stiles was too busy after that to think about anything but lacrosse.

**********

A few days later, Stiles had to stay after school because stupid Mr. Harris had given him detention. Scott had already gone home, so Stiles was walking through the corridors alone.

Suddenly, he walked into what felt like a brick wall. He fell on his butt, thankfully not hitting his head on anything, but it was still startling.

“Are you okay?” asked a familiar voice.

Stiles’ head flew up and he looked into Derek Hale’s beautiful eyes. “Y… yeah,” he said.

“Let me help you up,” Derek said, holding out a hand.

This was the moment that Stiles had been so curious about. He gripped onto it, and the moment he did, his vision did explode into white. And apparently, Derek’s did, too, because instead of Derek helping him up, he fell on top of Stiles instead.

“You really _are_ my soulmate?” Stiles was in shock. They really had never touched any bit of their skin together before that very moment?

“Are you upset?” Derek looked worried, moving back off of Stiles. “We don’t have to--”

“ _No_!” Stiles screamed, grabbing at one of Derek’s arms to stop him. “I like that we’re soulmates,” he said at a more normal volume. “I was kind of hoping that we were, actually, because you’re really kind of awesome.”

Derek looked more relaxed and a smile was blossoming on his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Stiles returned the smile.

Forget about the two rival teams for now, Stiles thought. For now, Derek was all that he wanted on his mind.

**********

Unfortunately, the next day, they both knew that they had to speak to their respective coaches. Stiles was not looking forward to telling Coach Finstock that Derek was his soulmate, and Derek wasn’t looking forward to telling Coach Abernathy about Stiles, either. But the two of them walked to the gym anyways. No one else was there, and the two held hands for moral support.

“Everything will be okay,” Stiles said, both to reassure Derek as well as himself.

Derek gulped. “Yeah. We’ll be able to be together and not have to hide our relationship.”

Stiles stared at him. He didn’t even consider that they might be forced into a secret relationship, forced to have clandestine meet-ups in other towns so no one else would see them. Stiles would wear a hoodie and sunglasses, while Derek would wear a scarf that covered the lower half of his face and…

“Stiles!” Derek interrupted his thoughts. “It’s not going to happen!”

Stiles looked over at Derek. He looked just as nervous as Stiles felt, but he looked determined, too. Stiles bet that that’s how Derek looked before a big basketball game. Maybe someday, Stiles would be able to go to one of his games and see for himself.

“Coach?” Stiles called, walking into his office in the gym

Coach Finstock was reading some essays from his freshman classes, but he looked up when Stiles approached. “Bilinski,” he greeted. “You needed something?”

“Um, yeah,” Stiles said. His heart was beating a mile a minute. He had the sinking feeling that this conversation could end very badly, but he needed to go through with it anyways.

“Bilinski!” Coach yelled. “Get on with it! I have papers to grade, you know! They don’t pay me to just sit here and look pretty, you know!”

“Sorry, Coach,” Stiles scratched his head. “I found my soulmate yesterday.”

“Congratulations!” Coach grinned. “But why are you telling me this? Shouldn‘t you be giggling about it with McCall or something?”

This was it. The moment that could end his days of lacrosse and Derek’s days of basketball. “It’s Derek,” he blurted out before he could lose his nerve. “Derek Hale. From the basketball team.”

Coach didn’t say anything.

“Am… am I gonna get kicked off the team?” Stiles was getting nervous, and when he was nervous, he tended to babble even more than normal. “I mean, I’m not the best player, but I’ve won you some goals. And Scotty, him and I play really good together! And Derek, he’s like one of the best players on the basketball team! He’s even the team captain!”

Finstock blew his whistle, and Stiles immediately shut up.

“Bilinski, do you really think we’d kick you off our teams because you’re soulmates?” Finstock asked. “Because that’s pretty crazy.”

Stiles’ jaw dropped. “But… the rivalry between the teams…?”

“What? Did you think this was gonna be like Romeo and Juliet?” Finstock stared at him. “Because while I have suffered greatly in my life, I’m not living in a Shakespearean tragedy! Don‘t put me through that, Bilinski!” He shook his finger at Stiles.

Stiles held his hands up. “I won’t, Coach! Promise!”

Finstock nodded in approval. “Good man. But don’t let being all lovey-dovey affect your performance on this team, or I’ll replace your starting position with Greenberg, and you know I don’t want that guy playing!”

Yeah, Stiles didn’t want Greenberg taking over his spot. “You got it!”

“Now, get out of here and let me grade my papers in peace!” Finstock said, picking up one of the essays on his desk and reading it.

Knowing when he was being dismissed, Stiles ran out of Finstock’s office and the gym. Derek was already outside, waiting for him. “How did it go for you?” he asked anxiously.

“He told me we weren’t Romeo and Juliet,” Stiles answered.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “I don’t remember ever saying we were,” he said. 

“You didn’t,” Stiles said. “It was just Finstock being his weird self. But he’s all for us being together!” he added, bouncing from foot to foot in excitement. “What about you and Coach Abernathy?”

“Oh, yeah! He approved, too” Derek said, grinning so that his teeth were showing. God, he could be such a cute dork!

“Woohoo!” Stiles shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in celebration.

There was no one around to see the ensuing kiss, and Stiles was fine with some things just staying private between soulmates.

**********

At the end of the week was the next basketball game. Stiles sat in the stands and dragged Scott along with him, who dragged Allison along as well. “It’s so weird to be here,” Scott told him, looking like he would run and hide the second one of the basketball players or their coach spotted him.

Stiles shook his head. “I told you, Scotty. Everything’s okay. Remember Coach‘s speech yesterday, about how he and the basketball coach bet every year on their teams winning? _That‘s_ how this stupid rivalry came about, so the coaches can bet each other out of money!”

Scott shrugged. “If you say so, dude.”

Allison ruffled Scott’s hair and smiled sweetly at him. “Don’t worry so much,” she said. “Let’s enjoy the game for once.”

“Hey, here they come!” Stiles shouted.

The basketball players started running out onto the court. Stiles spotted Derek immediately in the front leading the others. He spotted Stiles in the stands and waved shyly at him.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” Stiles whispered dreamily, putting a hand over his heart. “It is the east, and Derek is the sun.”

Scott and Allison laughed at him. “Dude,” Scott shook his head, grinning.

“You are _so_ in love!” Allison beamed, her dimples showing.

“Yeah,” Stiles said, watching Derek take control of the ball and run dribbling it across the court. “I am.”

**Author's Note:**

> Adding Finstock makes everything better! XD


End file.
